What is the right frequency of muscle training? Get the body you’ve always wanted by working out efficiently!

When to avoid muscle training

While there are best times, there are also times when muscle training should be avoided, so check the timing. Be aware that depending on the timing, the effects of muscle training may be compromised.

Timing to avoid muscle training (1) “Immediately after waking up

Immediately after waking up, the body is depleted of nutrients, which has the disadvantage of making it difficult to exert power during training. Also, when the body is not warmed up, the heart rate and blood pressure tend to increase, which may increase the burden on the heart. If your schedule only allows you time in the morning, try to do muscle training after you are fully awake and have something to eat, even if it is light. Or you could keep it to aerobic exercise only.

Timing to avoid muscle training (2) “Just before going to bed

Anaerobic exercise such as muscle training is very taxing on the body and activates the sympathetic nervous system, which can make it difficult to fall asleep and leave you fatigued. Therefore, it is important to finish 3~4 hours before going to bed, as this is a demerit in terms of “rest,” which is an important factor in muscle hypertrophy. For your information, it is recommended that you eat a meal that is easily digestible and low in fat as much as possible after muscle training late at night for some reason. It may be uncomfortable to eat late at night, but avoid eating nothing after training as much as possible for the sake of muscle hypertrophy.

When to avoid muscle training (3) “within 2 hours after a meal

Basically, it takes 2~3 hours for the food you eat to be digested and turned into energy. If you do muscle training without allowing enough time after eating, blood circulation to the gastrointestinal tract will be insufficient, which may cause indigestion. If you cannot leave enough time before training, try to take a banana, a drink containing carbohydrates such as maltodextrin, or protein, which are easy to digest, at least one hour before. During exercise, if possible, it is also a good idea to take BCAAs and EAAs to maintain amino acid levels in the blood.

NG behavior during muscle training

The following is an explanation of NG points that beginners in particular should be aware of when doing muscle training. Just refraining from these points will change the efficiency of muscle training, so please pay attention to them.

NG behavior in muscle training (1) “Only train the same part of the body ” (2) “Do not train the same part of the body” (3) “Do not train the same part of the body

It is inefficient to train only the chest and abdominal muscles, even if you want strong chest muscles and ripped abdominal muscles. It is essential to train the legs, back, and arms in a uniform manner to create a well-balanced appearance and a body that is easy to lose weight. Leg muscles, in particular, are the largest muscles in the entire body, so they are perfect for increasing metabolism and burning fat. In addition, data suggests that leg training helps stimulate the secretion of growth hormones, so it is recommended that training be done without avoiding it. Incidentally, those who do not have a lot of time to devote to training should give priority to training the chest, back, and legs.

Muscle training NG behavior (2) “Training even if you have muscle pain

Muscle soreness is a sign that your body is telling you that you need to take a break. Therefore, it is important to refrain from training sore muscles during this period for the sake of muscle hypertrophy. Especially when you are not accustomed to the intensity of exercise, it is easy to get severe muscle soreness, so do not force yourself to train. Training with sore muscles will not give you 100% results, and more importantly, it will cause you to lose your form. If you experience severe muscle soreness, try to speed up your recovery by taking a bath to warm up, getting good nutrition, and getting some sleep.

Muscle training NG behavior (3) “Prolonged muscle training

If you don’t do muscle training every day, it doesn’t mean you can’t do several hours of training at a time. Science says that muscle training for more than an hour releases the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits muscle hypertrophy. Cortisol helps protect the body from stress, and prolonged training can cause the body to feel stressed, which can lead to muscle breakdown. A good rule of thumb for beginners would be to do 3 sets of 8~12 repetitions per event for around 10 minutes including intervals, with a limit of 6~8 events in total.

Muscle training NG behavior (4) “Training with incorrect form

Quality, not time, is the key to strength training. High-quality training means applying a firm load to the targeted area with proper form. No matter how many reps you do over a long period of time, you will not get the desired effect if you do not apply the load properly, so be sure to use the proper weight to maintain form. If you do not know the proper form, you can study on YouTube, but the most efficient way is to learn from a personal trainer. If you have a professional train you in the beginning, you will be less likely to stumble in your training later on because you won’t get into strange habits. A personal trainer may sound expensive, but if you pay by the hour, you can get a personal trainer for only a few thousand to 10,000 yen.

Muscle training NG behavior (5) “Comparing yourself too much with others “

It is especially common for beginners of muscle training to compare themselves with others and feel depressed, especially when they see people with cool bodies on social networking sites or at the gym. However, please remember that the effects of muscle training vary greatly from person to person, so comparing yourself to others is completely meaningless. Even if you are doing the same amount of muscle training, it is natural that your results will be different because you were born differently, have different exercise backgrounds, and live in different environments. Everyone’s body will change little by little if they continue with muscle training, so don’t be discouraged and work hard at your training.